Though she said that a flu shot is the best protection, Foo added that the overall effectiveness of the vaccine was only about 33 percent this season. That is typical of a year when H3N2 is predominant, she said.

While Foo had no data on how many South Carolinians got flu shots this season, the average is typically around 47 percent, she said.

"We surpassed those record totals this year," she said. “The message is that everyone needs to get flu vaccine to protect themselves.”

Health care providers are still seeing some cases of flu, but it’s more Influenza B virus and the vaccine offers better protection against it, she said.